Baby, It's (insanely) Hot Outside...

So we popped the sprinkler under the trampoline so the girls can stay cool at home when we can't get to the pool...

and they are having a blast...

little Kinley loves to just sit in the middle and not bounce at all...

well, they all kinda like to sit in the middle :)...

Easy entertainment, wouldn't ya say??

I loved, loved, loved hearing your opinions and views on the vaccinations - made me think a lot, and made me feel better about going with my "mommy-instinct". It's ok to hold off on them a bit - picking and choosing and spreading them out seems like a good plan for our Lincoln :).

So anyway, hope you all are staying cool and enjoying your Friday! Have a great weekend!

Vaccinations...

I can be such a sissy.

I had to take Lincoln in yesterday for an ear infection (poor guy), and while we were there the Dr said, "why don't we start his shots...he's way behind." We had some insurance misunderstandings after I had him, so we are a tad behind on well visits.

Oh and for the record though, being a "tad" behind on ANYTHING is pretty normal in this house.

For some reason yesterday, I just didn't want to do the vaccinations. Now I know FULL and WELL that there can be huge controversy over this - and I usually tend to stand on the neutral side...I feel there are obvious benefits, but I think there are possible side affects.

I stood in that room for what seemed like forever debating in my head what to do when she came in with all 6 shots - I didn't want to seem like a crazy person for opting out, after all, ALL our girls were vaccinated (some were spread out, but they had them all).

But I didn't have peace about it, I've learned some new things in the past couple years, and my main concern is protecting this little guy...

Clearly, you understand. Who wouldn't want the best for that chubby little man???

(Sigh...he's just the sweetest boy. I know, I've mentioned that before.)

So when they came in I said I wanted to wait...maybe delay them a bit...and let him heal from his ear infections - really, ANY excuse I could think of was coming out of my mouth at that point, my friends.

I do believe they are important, I do want all my kids protected, but I just didn't feel good about it yesterday.

Is that odd? Could it have been that I just didn't want to see him cry? Maybe.

But I just had that undecided, unsure, not comfortable, mommy feeling - so I didn't get them.

And so now I ask the question, you know, cause I'm curious like that - Do you vaccinate? Do you spread them out? Do you delay them? Would you have waited if you could go back?

I'd love to hear your opinions.

We Decided To Jump...

and they love it!

I promised we'd add the sprinkler to the fun tomorrow - I'll let ya know how all that goes :).

Happy Tuesday, friends!

A Mom's Night Out...

with other mama's...

who know you...

who understand your life, your passions, your madness, your faith...

and maybe with ones who sat with you 3 weeks postpartum while you cried and sifted through the jungle of hormones that now controlled your life...

Ahem.

About 2 weeks ago we had an Ultimate Mom's Night Out here in our town - I teamed up with Amy this time around and we worked hard to put on an incredible night of encouragement, pampering, and fun conversation for all the mama's in attendance...

We're a fun pair :).

My passion runs deep for moms, and I just wanted a night where they could come together and eat, laugh, catch up, and love on one another. Those women that night embraced each other...and if there is one thing I've learned this past year, it's to not just love your mom friends, but embrace them.

Embrace their kids, embrace their growing family, embrace their hard times, embrace their good times, embrace the ever changing seasons, and embrace who they are. 

Be there, and be involved. That kind of friendship is irreplaceable to us mama's, and it's good to get a night to chat, laugh, and be together.

You know the one who is standing there when you come out of the shower crying after a c-section? Yea, she loves you, embrace her.

I couldn't find another picture that sums up the night more than this...

That picture makes my heart happy. It makes me want to have another party...like tomorrow.

So anyway, thanks to Peeps, Lifestages, Dayton Mall, Veggie Tales, and Paper Coterie, (along with many other sponsors that you can find HERE), we put on the Ultimate Mom's Night Out...

and it was fantastic...and wonderful...and just plain fun :).

You can keep up with things on our new facebook page - Ultimate Mom's Night Out! 

Questions, concerns, ideas, thoughts about the party? Want to be involved next time? Feel free to email me at savvylittlewomen@gmail.com!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Homemade Strawberry Jam

It is SO insanely yummy...and SO much easier to make than you would think.

I got to talking with a friend last week about how quickly we go through jelly, and how expensive it can be to buy the organic kind in bulk...and she said, "let's get together this week and make some!"

So 2 other mama's and I got together at our place and made some good 'ol strawberry jam...with all our kids...it was a good time :).

All you need are strawberries, pectin, and sugar...

- For 1 batch you mix 2 cups of crushed (in a blender) strawberries with 4 cups of regular sugar and let stand for 10 minutes...

- Mix 3/4 cup of water with one box of pectin and bring to a boil while stirring constantly - when it comes to a boil you stir for one minute and then remove from heat.

- Stir the pectin into the fruit and stir for 3 minutes.

- Quickly pour into jars, fill to within 1/2 inch of the top and let stand for 24 hours.

- Store in freezer and refrigerate after opening. That's it!

It is delicious! I think next time I'm going to give blueberry jam a try, Eric loves that stuff. And next week I'm making salsa...I have all these jars now, so I have to fill them up with something :)!

(if these directions were confusing there is a detailed recipe in the pectin box)

I'm going to try to start making more staples...bread, tortillas, spaghetti sauce, frozen meals for our many way-to-busy nights. Anyone else make any staples?

Happy Friday, all!

See Kate Run...

So I've started a new running program.

Since I had Lincoln just 3 short months ago I have tossed around how I would get myself back into decent shape after carrying and then birthing 6 children.

I do know one thing for sure - The original hips, they ain't ever comin' back. (among other things)

I grew up in sports my whole life, so working out has always been part of who I am...you know, until the half dozen kids, middle of the night feedings, homework, housework, time with hubby, running around like a crazy woman lifestyle kicked in. At that point, the gym took a back seat to my 7 favortie people, as it should.

Heading out the door for the gym the moment Eric gets home is not an option - nights are busy here and since he's not home at night often, we eat dinner as a family when he is. Period. End of story.

Now you know that I am not one to talk much about exercising and body image mainly because I have 5 little girls watching my every self-critisizing move, and because I believe that we are all fearfully and wondefully made just like the Lord wants us... Thankyouverymuch.

And besides, I like to think I've already been in the best shape of my life, remember?

Sigh...a shape only God can give. The baby bump perfectly placed in those dreamy elastic waist band pants...now thats bliss.

Ahem.

Anyway,  I've decided over the past month that since I can't get to the gym at a reasonable hour, it would be healthy for my frame of mind to carve out a time in the wee hours of the morning where I can get out there and run my stress off, collect my thoughts, take some deep breaths, and ask the Lord to help me be more patient...cause I haven't been lately.

This early morning thing is a big deal because there is basically only one thing that will usually get me out of bed before 6am - and that is one sweet Lincoln Lynch. Mmmm, he is a treasure at any hour.

The other reason it's a big deal is because for 9 months out of this past year I have only seemed to be consistant with three things...

1. Taking a prenatal vitamin...

2. making myself believe that sweat pants are actually "trendy track pants"...

3. and being able to finish a bag of starburst jelly beans in record timing.

SO, all that to say I have embarked on this new running plan...and to ask you if you are in our neighborhood at 5am and see me laying face down in someones front yard weeping, to please call my husband and ask him to come and get me. He'll understand.

So here's to me getting an hour to myself 4 times a week...4 hours out of 168! It's like Christmas.

Let's see if I can stick to it!

To Jump Or Not To Jump...And A Few Other Things...

-This isn't the biggest decision in the world - but we're thinking of getting a trampoline.

And I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a tad over-protective, and I sorta hover over the girls sometimes...alright, all the time.

But you understand, I want to protect these sweet little thangs...

And as you can tell, our swingset is, well, ancient...

So do you have a trampoline and love it, or do you think it's just plain dangerous and something else they will argue over?? My brother broke his ankle on one when we were kids, so I've always been a little hesitant of them - not to mention I'm sure the kiddos will want me to jump with them and I'm just not sure my insides (aka - bladder) are made for all that intense jumping after 3 c-sections :).

-I'm going to paint the kitchen a blue-ish grey, thanks for your thoughts...can't wait to get it all done!!

-The Moms Night Out went great last week...pictures to come of all that jazz.

-Have you read this? It's been all over the Internet and rightfully so...it is an amazing piece with a lot of wisdom and encouragement.

Is this the most random post ever? Awesome.

I'm off to start breakfast, hope you all had a great weekend!

A Giveaway Where Everyone Wins...

It sounds great, doesn't it?

To good to be true, right?

Wrong!

Today as we run around trying to get last minute things done for the Ultimate Mom's Night Out here in our town, you are going to be picking out a FREE item of your choice...up to ANY amount...from Paper Coterie!

(well...you do have to pay a tiny fee to ship it...we have to draw the line somewhere :))

Why? Because I love ya...like sisters...and I want you to get some of the party "goodies" too :).

So this is what I want for my sweet, sweet Lincoln's room...

Oh before I know it his little head will reach all the way to the top - but he'll always be my little boy, right :)??

And I would also love to have this as well because it's always great to have a beautiful Photo Book handy...and my 5 savvy girls just love flipping through a picture album...

There is so much to choose from, and you ALL get to choose what you want...for FREE!

No catch, no rules, just free :).

So head over there and find something you like! You can pick any item that your heart desires, and when you get to the checkout just enter the coupon code just4savvylittlewomen, and you get your product for free. That code is good for 1 week only, so hop to it!

Fabulous, ain't it??

We'd love to hear what item you are going to get, but a comment is not required to grab the code :).

Happy shopping, my friends!!

I'm Painting...

again.

Because I have a lot of time to remodel the house right now. (insert sarcasm HERE)

As our family grows I find myself spending more and more time in the kitchen cooking, making meals to freeze, and baking with the kiddos, so I want to really love it...I need a change.

A year ago when we moved I painted our kitchen red with some tan accents in the dining area where we "dine."

(I say "dine", but it can also be called a "free for all")

Ahem.

Sorry I don't have a lot of pics, but I'm comfortably sitting downstairs watching Dora with my (quiet for now) kiddos, and the kitchen and my camera are upstairs...and the moment I head upstairs for anything they all follow and start asking for things. You understand.

So anyway, I want to repaint the kitchen - I've had enough of the red. I'm looking for something warmer, fresher, and not as bold. Like maybe a grey-ish blue? Would that go with black appliances?

Tan? Green? Yellow? Help!

And then I want to hang some cool accents in the nook where our table is, but I always have these big ambitions and then end up getting overwhelmed with the decorating possibilities....

Pictures of our fam? Black and whites all around? Cool art work? An oversized fork?

So I would love some help...or ideas...or your thoughts. What does your kitchen look like and do you LOVE it??

Please. Send. Help.

Or at least tell me I'm not the only one who is THIS behind!

So I Will Make A List...

1. My days and activities have started running together. As in things are so busy that I keep finding myself saying, "is it Thursday? Friday? Are we in July? Have I showered?" I like to call it my "summer brain".

2. We made homemade chocolate granola and it is fab-u-lous, I'll share that recipe soon.

3. I started booking photo sessions again, I guess my maternity leave is over :). My 1st one was last week, and let me tell ya, I've missed it...

Getting to meet families and hearing their unique stories and paths that God is leading them down...it's the best...

4. I am up to my eyes in plans for our local Mom's Night Out. It's so fun to plan it, but it will be MORE fun to get to the "night out" part :).

5. I haven't been to Target all week...maybe I'm not addicted! Or maybe I am, we're heading there a little later for diapers and coffee.

6. We are still spending most of our days at the pool, and we still love soaking up the sun there...

7. I'm thinking of cutting my hair. I only say that when it gets really hot. Which means I probably won't do it.

8. We are still searching for a big 'ol 15 passenger van. Try not to be jealous about how cool I will look rollin' around town in that thing. I am oddly picky about what I want though...but don't have the funds to be insanely choosy and you'd be surprised at how expensive these vehicles can be...so we will wait till that perfect one comes along. You know, if perfection came in van form.

9. In case you're wondering I currently shove my whole 6-carseat-crew into an SUV. Remember at the circus when the little car pulls up and 100 people get out? Yea, we're kinda like that.

10. I have only been to the circus 1 time in my life because I DO NOT like clowns...at all...in any form...at any time. There's a random fact about me that I'm sure you were all dying to know.

So anyway, we're off to run errands. Raya has said "mama" 43 times since I sat down to write this and that ususally means we need to get busy before someone looses her mind!

(that someone would be me)

Happy Thursday! 

Free...

to be you...

free to live your life..

free to be that crazy family...

free to love the people who love you...

and free to set off some fireworks...

free to eat what you want...

free to not care what others think...

free to laugh till you cry...

free to love on your friends and family...

free to embrace the life He's given you...

and free to just relax...

free to love that squeezable little boy and his 5 sweet sisters...

free to talk about what God's doing in your life at a cookout...

free to accept the things you can't change...

and free to sit back and just be...

Our busy little family had a great 4th packed full of things to be thankful for :).

Hope you all had a great looonnng weekend!